


yes, it's called desire

by sweetheartbitterheart



Category: Life with Derek
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 05:58:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/707318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetheartbitterheart/pseuds/sweetheartbitterheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Derek's cousin's wedding, and it's Valentine's Day, but dancing with Casey may be his least favorite thing to do on this already terribly boring day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	yes, it's called desire

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in '09.

  
_Don't waste no time, the streets are on fire_  
 _Hold out your arms, yes, it's called desire_  
 _Getting quite sleepy but you held the door_  
 _The light from your eyes asks me for more_  
-Yes, It's Called Desire, Leona Naess

They're at his cousin Tanya's wedding reception and everyone expect him seems to be having a grand old time. Laughing, drinking, and eating this ridiculous and delicious expense food. Derek wasn't exactly fond of his cousin Tanya ( _She's only twenty-two and just out of university! Who the hell gets married still in their twenties?!_ ) or her now-husband Peter. They were those overly friendly and slightly annoying kinds of people that are just too oblivious to realize that someone might not like them. Strangely, they reminded Derek of another family member of his.

Casey.

Stupid Casey who should have been on a date with her stupid boyfriend but since he dumped her stupid ass she now had to come to the wedding too.

It was on Valentine's Day. An actual wedding on _Valentine's Day_. Now, that was cliché. Sickeningly sweet, ridiculously romantic, call it whatever you see fit, it was still a cliché.

Anyways, they're here and Casey cried during the ceremony and had to redo her make-up and she just handed Derek her coat and purse while she ran off with her make-up bag to the bathroom like he was her boyfriend or real friend or something. He was _not_ her anything, but tormentor and bane of her existence.

He sat down at their designated table alone. Every time he tried to flirt with Tanya's hot older friends, he got interrupted by Edwin and Lizzie or Tanya herself. She's give him an apologetic smile before dragging him away 'for his own good.' Bullshit.

Stupid Tanya.

He kind of hated himself because of how relieved he was when Casey came back from the bathroom. She walked with steady assurance and perfectly applied face. She was wearing this strapless purple dress that ended just before her knee. She accessorized ( _Why is that word even in his vocabulary?_ ) with purple earrings and a hair clip. Her hair was down and wavy and framed her face very well. Another reason why Derek kind of hated himself at the moment, not to mention her, she actually looked… _hot_.

He instantly dropped his gaze to the floor when she reached the table. She plopped down next to him and sighed. He tentatively looked up and followed her own gaze to the dance floor where all the couples were dancing to some painfully slow song that was currently playing. Hey, at least it was better than any song by the Village People.

"I see you were able to recreate that disaster of a make-up job," he commented, not even looking at her. He needed to say something mean to offset his current predicament.

"I see you were able to repulse every female here you aren't related to," she countered saucily, turning to him fully.

"So what about you then?" He asked snidely but secretly really wanted to know her answer despite himself. He turned to her readily.

She scoffed and mock-gagged, "Very much so, _Der_." She turned away again, back to the dance floor.

The song changed and they both seemed to recognize the song. Casey smiled slightly and Derek grimaced. "I hate this song," he groaned.

"Well, I hate you," she said, "I wish I had somebody here to dance with."

"Well, it is too bad Truman got a grip and got out," he told her.

He saw her face momentarily fall and he thought that maybe what he said was too harsh, too cruel, too soon. "He didn't 'get a grip and get out.' _We both_ decided it was for the best. We never really got along anyway. All we ever did was fight then have se-" Casey clamped her mouth shut by covering it with her hand. The sound of her slapping skin against skin seemed extra loud to Derek.

He felt something gnawing in his stomach and his chest appeared to be tightening. All of the sudden, he wanted nothing more than to pound his fists into Truman's ugly, smirking face. Casey's eyes were wide and she kept blinking, probably more than the average human. But then again, Casey was never one for average.

Derek quickly swallowed the saliva that started to build up in his mouth from gritting his teeth. His hands kept clutching then unclutching as he spoke, "So… you and Truman really did the dirty deed?"

His stepsister's eyes turned to slits, "Shut up. I never said that."

"Case, it was in what you didn't say. Plus, it's all over your face," he told her honestly.

She nearly growled, "It's none of your business."

"Whatever," he shrugged, while the gnawing in his stomach was getting out of control.

During one of the most awkward silences ever, Tanya decided to stroll by their table, permanent smile and bridal glow and all. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw Casey with Derek. "Hey Derek… and Casey?" She greeted, a little unsurely.

"Hey," Casey greeted back, fake smile in place. But maybe it wasn't so fake; she was talking to someone other than him.

"Why aren't you two dancing?" She asked, truly curious. She glanced between the two making her auburn hair swish about.

"No one here to dance with," Casey answered, glancing briefly at Derek and his grimacing face.

"Oh, I mean, with each other. Why not? You're stepsiblings. It would be cute," Tanya turned to Derek, "Don't you wanna do something nice, Derek?"

_Yeah, cut your head off, that'd be nice_ , he thought, trying desperately not to say it out loud. With Tanya smiling so stupidly sincerely at him and Casey nervously playing with her fingers beside him, he caved. He stood up and with one fell swoop pulled Casey up with him and brought her on the dance floor.

"So cute!" Tanya squealed and when about her bridal duties or whatever.

Derek held Casey awkwardly and close enough away from his body so they somewhat slow danced. Her eyes went back to being wide as she tried to keep up with his moves, which were lackluster at best. When George and Nora spotted them, with confused looks they danced over to them.

"Do not make a scene," George scolded and danced Nora away again.

"Why are you doing this?" Casey asked once their parents were out of earshot.

"Because Tanya's evil and… now it's too late to pawn you off on Edwin," he answered, looking away. She turned to see Lizzie dragging Edwin back onto to the dance floor for one more dance. She snickered.

Seemingly subconsciously, they had become closer in proximity while dancing after a few minutes. Neither said anything until Casey had to open her perfectly glossed mouth to say, "This is weird."

"Very," he agreed.

"So why are you still dancing with me?" She asked, voice raising a little.

"Because Tanya's-"

"Evil! I know!" She interrupted, scoffing and she looked anywhere but his face, "You're such a mindless and careless jerk."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, "You just went from Thank U Alanis to You Oughta Know Alanis in five seconds flat. That must be a record."

"Shut up," she stage whispered and clutched his hand tighter.

"You shut up," he said a little too loudly so he reduced to a whisper too, "You're the one who brought up the awkwardness of this situation."

"You're the one who brought me on the dance floor."

"You're the one who implied you wanted to dance."

"You're the one-"

"Chill," Lizzie's even but irritated voice broke out in between Derek and Casey. She and Edwin were dancing by them and they both glared at their older siblings. Casey blushed when she realized that some of the other couples dancing noticed them arguing.

"See? Do you understand what you make me do? How you make me act, Derek?" Casey inquired, maybe rhetorically, he wasn't sure, "God."

As another slow song came on and bored of the same old argument, Edwin and Lizzie went to sit down and get something to eat. Derek and Casey didn't even notice; too busy staring at one another.

"How do I make you feel, Case? How do I make you act? Please, oh please, tell me so I won't make the same mistake of ever making you feel and act the same way again," he said, sarcasm dripping over every word.

Casey shook her head in insult and exasperation. It took another minute to speak, whispering again, barely audible, "Why do you hate me so much? Why do you constantly treat me badly and make me feel stupid? Why do you even bother? Why, Derek? Please enlighten me."

She stared at him. This time she wasn't making a rhetorical question, she probably hadn't been before. But she just stared at him, her blue eyes piercing and twisting him into him. They got darker when she was really angry or really upset. He didn't mean to make her upset, not really. They were at a wedding. It was supposed to be a happy event with happy people.

"I don't… hate you, Casey," he said, his voice low.

"Then why do you always treat me the way you do?" She asked, her eyes becoming a little glassy. _Oh, God, please do not cry, Casey. You know I don't do tears_ , he thought vehemently.

"Because…" he sighed, "Because I don't know how else to treat you. You make me so mad. You stand up to me and you challenge me all the time and you're just always _right there_. You drive me crazy." Her mouth formed a very adorable 'o' and she looked like she really wanted the perfect way to respond. "Honestly, I don't know how to feel about you, Casey."

"Derek-" She started.

"No, no, I'm not done," she looked offended but let him talk, "I don't know whether to strangle you or put you in a closet so you won't bother me or shove up against a wall and kiss you until our lungs give out. That's what _you_ do to me."

He desired her more than anyone else. Or was it really desire, not just fascination?

Casey blinked a couple times and opened her mouth before closing it again. She reminded him of a fish. "I… I, um… D-Derek…" She stuttered and blushed furiously.

He didn't know what else to do so he pulled closer and they swayed to the song right this time. He thought he saw her smiling a little but maybe that was just him. They're bodies were pressed together in a position most couples normally did, and she was so warm and soft. _God, when did he become such a sap?_

But it was _Casey_.

Stupid Casey who made him feel things and made him really want to kiss her.

So he did and she made a wonderfully ridiculous noise before she pulled back and put a few feet between them. She stared and opened her mouth. Derek expected an insult, a full rant, even a slap but instead she only let out a deep breath and she smiled for real this time.

She tentatively came closer and they continued to dance like a real couple.

"I need you to be slow. I need _this_ to be slow, okay?" She whispered into his ear and he shivered.

"Okay," he nodded, "but I'm not perfect."

"Don't I know it," she smirked and he rolled his eyes at her but still smiled all the same.

"I said not to make a scene, Derek," George's sudden presence scared both Casey and Derek. They jumped but stayed in each other's arms though.

"Leave them alone, Georgie," Nora said and dragged him away from their eldest children.

"May I have this dance, Miss McDonald?" Derek smirked and held her hand in his. They fit pretty well.

"You may, Mr. Venturi," she said and they started to sway again.

Yes, it was desire.


End file.
